Clinton urges TSA to reconsider screener cuts to New York airports WASHINGTON (AP) =97 Planned cuts to airport safety screeners may have an=20 unfairly heavy impact on New York's air travelers, Sen. Hillary Rodham=20 Clinton said Wednesday. Clinton, D-N.Y., wrote to Admiral James Loy, head=20 of the Transportation Security Administration, questioning whether the cuts= =20 in staffing will have a disproportionate impact on New York state. The TSA= =20 intends to cut about 6,000 screening jobs, roughly 11% of its=20 55,600-screener work force. Clinton said she is alarmed that the cuts at=20 New York's airports seem to be well above the national average: 22% at John= =20 F. Kennedy International Airport, 53% at Long Island Islip, 50% at=20 Plattsburgh, 41% at Albany and 31% at Buffalo. The cut at LaGuardia would be just 4%. But other prospective reductions=20 include: Westchester 37%, Binghamton 29%, Binghamton 29%, Syracuse 27%,=20 Stewart/Newburgh 25% and Elmira 18%. "I am writing to ask for an=20 explanation as to why these cuts are seemingly far greater for New York,"=20 Clinton wrote. "New York remains a No. 1 target for terrorists, and our=20 airports must be secure." Clinton asked Loy to reconsider the cuts for=20 safety reasons and the possible affect on local economies. A TSA official=20 in New York did not immediately return a call for comment. The first round= =20 of cuts is expected at the end of the month. Loy has said the cuts, which=20 will save the agency roughly $280 million, won't diminish security but may= =20 lead to slightly longer delays for travelers. The TSA was created, and=20 tougher screening measures put in place, after the Sept. 11 attack, in=20 which terrorists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center towers= =20 and the Pentagon. The cuts address criticism from some in Congress who=20 complained the agency grew too large too fast. *************************************************** The owner of Roger's Trinbago Site/TnTisland.com Roj (Roger James) escape email mailto:ejames@xxxxxxxxx Trinbago site: www.tntisland.com Carib Brass Ctn site www.tntisland.com/caribbeanbrassconnection/ Steel Expressions www.mts.net/~ejames/se/ Site of the Week: http://www.cso.gov.tt TnT Webdirectory: http://search.co.tt *********************************************************